Top-scoring students who want to join the Kenya Defence Forces after finishing secondary school may have to adjust their expectations of enlisting as privates.
A retired senior military officer stated that pupils with high test scores have a lower likelihood of being recruited.
Brigadier (Rtd) Peter Magut, former Garrison Commander at Kahawa Barracks and National Chief Recruitment Officer, once told a local newspaper that the KDF did not bend the regulations to favour exceptional performers, such as pupils who received B grades or higher.
“Anybody with grade B and above cannot make a good soldier because once they are recruited they will still want to pursue higher education
“So instead of enlisting candidates who will start seeking time off to go to university, we opt to recruit those with minimum grades,” he said.
Previously, candidates who received a grade B but were unable to attend university for different reasons had their aspirations dashed at nationwide recruitment centers due to the military’s stringent recruitment standards.
The best candidates to join the KDF are those with grades between B- and the minimal criterion of D+, who may be considered for posts as privates, the military’s lowest rank.
However, pupils with superior grades can still join as Cadets.
Over the years, the KDF’s recruitment procedure has evolved to eradicate corruption and maintain openness.
“Ours is a transparent legal process and those who are lucky will get a one-page calling letter to join the training college and not the fake three-page letter
“These con men have changed their tactics such that in their invitation letter, they have included wisdom as part of the testing in the recruitment exercise which is not correct because those wishing to join the forces don’t go through any knowledge test,” he added.
